All articles by antonica jones
antonica jones
Secure the future: security systems
New security technologies have the potential to enhance the safety and overall experience of guests, but effectively choosing and applying the right systems requires careful forethought. Security managers from London’s top hotels congregated in Mayfair for a Hotel Management International Dining Club, held in partnership with video surveillance leader Hikvision. Darren Carter, head of group security at Edwardian Group, led discussion on some of the latest innovations helping to keep guests and staff safe in today’s challenging environment.
Every trick in the book: online booking engines
Online booking engines have gone from being a boon to the bane of the hospitality industry. EHMA president Hans Koch discusses the problem and ponders how operators can wrest back control of room booking.
Growth experience: The Insider with Carlos Khneisser
Carlos Khneisser has been vice-president of development Middle East at Hilton Worldwide for six years, overseeing the company’s growth during one of the most turbulent periods in the region’s history – and Egypt has been a key focus.
Hot off the press: Hotel Investment Conference Europe
Hotel Management International reports from this year’s Hotel Investment Conference Europe, where leading lights from Steigenberger, Jumeirah, Langham and Scandic sat down to talk about attracting the right investor, why social media is changing the role of marketing, and how technology can put guests back in charge.
Forward momentum: Deloitte’s European Hotel Investment Conference
Deloitte’s 27th European Hotel Investment Conference took attendees on a virtual road trip. Hotel Management International was in central London to hear from some of the industry’s biggest names intent on putting their feet on the accelerator.
Back on the books: online booking and digital distribution
Since launching its new distribution strategy in June, AccorHotels has been testing, tweaking and structuring the inclusion of independent hotels to its distribution platform. It is perhaps the most ambitious example yet of a hotel group looking to directly challenge the disruptors, taking on online travel agencies at their own game. Six months in, Patrick Kingsland speaks to Romain Roulleau, the company’s senior vice-president of e-commerce and digital services, to gauge the success of the scheme so far and its longer-term goals.
Europe on the up: IHG’s Angela Brav targets continental expansion
In her four years as IHG’s chief executive for Europe, Angela Brav has demonstrated a willingness to gamble. The American native talks to Phin Foster about targeting key markets, providing clarity and why European strength is the only way to truly make one’s global brands shine.
A greener goal: industry sustainability
Whatever standard a hotel decides to pursue, accreditation from a global body is becoming a vital component of any successful sustainability strategy. Leaders from Mövenpick, IHG and Fairmont speak to Patrick Kingsland about striking a balance between in-house initiatives and industry standards.
Secure integration: hotel security
How does an operator best go about entrenching security and safety across a hotel’s entire operations? A solid strategy should be based on interdepartmental collaboration, training and technology, from the front desk to the back office, as Ross Davies reports.
Growth by design: Morgans Hotel Group and ‘high design’
Having opened a third London property and debuted in Istanbul last year, with another two Turkish projects in the pipeline and plans for hotels in Qatar and Dubai, Morgans Hotel Group is ramping up its international presence. Tony Machado, vice-president design and construction, tells Sarah Williams how the company uses high design to fuse local lifestyle with creative communities.